Stepping Stones Playgroup

Stepping Stones Playgroup 10 Station Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1RE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 7 December 2016 19 September 2012

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Staff establish positive partnerships with parents. They encourage good levels of shared learning. For example, they discuss children's achievements on a regular basis. This helps to provide good consistency in children's care and learning.  Children develop skills that help to prepare them for their future learning. For example, they learn early mathematics as they use scales to measure weights.  There are good opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. For instance, they use bikes and learn how to balance and negotiate obstacles.  The manager and staff work together well to evaluate and review their practice. For example, they observe each other teach, and provide constructive advice and support. This helps to improve outcomes for children's learning.  Children have a wide range of opportunities to explore and investigate. For instance, they use magnifying glasses to observe nature close up.

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This provision is good

 Staff support individual children with additional needs well. For example, they use additional funding effectively, and work closely and share ideas with therapists.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not extend the opportunities that children have to explore marks they make and develop their early writing skills across all learning environments.  At times, staff do not encourage children to take a more active lead in their learning and choose their own play more easily.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve children's opportunities to explore marks they make and develop their early writing skills across all learning environments  extend the opportunities for children to take a more active lead in their learning and choose their own play more effectively.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff's interactions with children.  The inspector viewed the indoor and outdoor environments.  The inspector looked at the written documentation, including a sample of policies and procedures, risk assessments and staff training records.  The inspector spoke to children, parents and staff, and considered their views.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The manager monitors the consistency of the quality of teaching well. For example, the staff team has talks to discuss the day's events and the manager provides one-to-one support meetings for all staff. The meetings highlight any training needs and encourage staff to build upon their knowledge and skills. This helps to keep children engaged in interesting learning opportunities. The manager encourages staff to keep up to date with new ideas. For example, staff attend regular training, which supports them to develop their teaching practice. The manager and staff closely monitor children's progress. This helps them highlight any gaps in development quickly and provide individual support that allows children to catch up. All staff have a secure knowledge of the safeguarding procedures to follow and who to contact to follow up concerns about children's welfare. Safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff support children to manage the move to school well. For instance, children learn to do up ties and get dressed independently during exercise sessions. This helps them to become familiar with activities they may experience at school. Children develop good communication and language skills. For example, staff ask them questions to encourage them to think and accompany words with visual signs. Overall, staff build skilfully on children's ideas. For instance, when children showed a keen interest in a well-known snowman character, staff encouraged them to sing the song from the film and build their own snowman using a range of materials. Children enjoy exploring and investigating, such as using their sense of smell when using dough made with berries and cinnamon.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff build trusting relationships with children. This helps to encourage them to settle confidently into play and develop a good sense of belonging. Staff are positive role models for children. For example, children behave well and are polite and kind to each other. Children learn about the wider world and respect other people's similarities and differences. For instance, they look at maps of the world to discuss other countries. Children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles. For example, they are keen to prepare nutritiously balanced snacks.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children make good progress in their learning. Children gain an understanding of how things work. For example, they use cameras and video recorders and take on the responsibility of being 'photographer of the week'. They eagerly share their photographs and videos with their friends. Children develop good social skills and build meaningful friendships. For example, they compromise, share and take turns as they play together.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 511221 Local authority East Sussex Inspection number 1058779 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 26 Number of children on roll 32 Name of registered person Bexhill Youth and Community Association

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 September 2012 Telephone number 01424 215455

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reference number

Stepping Stones Playgroup is committee run and registered in 1987. It operates from rooms in the Bexhill Youth and Community Centre, in Bexhill, East Sussex. The playgroup is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, term time only. The provider receives funding to provide free early education for children aged two, three and four years. There are seven staff, three of whom hold a recognised level 3 early years qualification.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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